As I thought about giving this address, I wondered what I could offer you, my peers, my fellow diabetes educators. I am in the unique position of having been president of two major diabetes organizations over the past decade. I have witnessed and been part of major changes in our profession and in the health care environment. That's why I decided to talk about leadership, dwelling on what to me are three basic concepts of leadership.

These concepts are love, advocacy, and ensuring the future of our profession. To illustrate these concepts, I'll tell a story.

The title of this address is "Love 'em and Lead 'em." But "Love 'em and lead 'em" isn't a concept I created. They are the words of John Stanford, General John Henry Stanford, to be more precise. John Stanford was a two-star general who served in the U.S. Army for 30 years, including two tours in Vietnam, one an as aviator and one as a battalion commander. He later served as executive secretary to the Secretary of Defense, and ended his military career as the commander of all transporation plans for Operation Desert Storm.

After serving in the army, John was a county executive in Georgia for 3 years. In 1995, he was hired as the superintendent of the Seattle public school system. I didn't meet John Stanford at the VA. In fact, I never met him. He didn't have diabetes, and I don't and never have had children in Seattle public schools.

So why am I telling his story? Because I was moved by a man I never met and with whom I seemingly had nothing in common. I was moved because he touched my city. When asked during his interview for the superintendent position what he could bring to Seattle schools from the U.S. Army, he replied, "love." He articulated that soldiers would not risk their lives or go that extra mile unless the have love and respect for their leaders.

John Stanford believed a leader had to "love 'em and lead 'em." He believed in those he led, and said, "You know how you feel when someone believes in you. You feel you can do anything."

He was innovative. For example, he sent school personnel for training at Nordstrom's department store to learn customer service. He insisted that central office personnel spend one day a week working with school children.

John Stanford died last November at the age of 60, 6 months after he was diagnosed with leukemia. It was said that he "was a gust of inspiration who blew through Seattle leaving a laid back city winded and hopeful."

John was applauded not for what people saw in him, but for what he helped them see in themselves. He believed in coaching people to do their best. In addition, he reached out of the school district and involved the entire community in the education of our children, our future.

I was moved by what he represented and what he brought to my city.

Well, you may wonder, how does John Stanford apply to diabetes education? I believe what he stood for and lived for is the heart of diabetes education. He felt that love is what military commanders use to inspire troops to risk their lives. He felt that love is what CEOs use to elicit maximal performance. He believed that love is what parents use to encourage their children to learn and grow. And I believe that love is what diabetes educators use on a daily basis to teach, encourage, and support their patients and students as they deal with diabetes.

While not all of us will have the opportunity to stand at this podium, we will all have the opportunity—the obligation—to lead. Diabetes educators have long known that we cannot make decisions for our patients. As Betty Brackenridge, a fellow past president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, so aptly illustrated, the old Greyhound model of health care is no longer relevant. Our patients can no longer "leave the driving to us." Rather, we must implement the Hertz model and enable our patients and students to be "in the driver's seat."

However, to learn how to drive the car successfully, they need knowledge and experience. We must provide that learning. We must help them learn how to problem-solve the difficult situations they will experience.

Several studies have shown that people with chronic diseases do better with support systems. We are a major part of that support system, whether in our professional lives, in our volunteer lives, and, for many of us, even in our personal lives. We are the coaches who teach the basic skills. We encourage new attitudes and lifestyle changes. Without a doubt, we have the opportunity and the challenge to lead our patients and students to "go that extra mile."

We realize that this is often very difficult. Yet when we can love those we work with and believe in our message and in our patients and students, they can go further than they ever thought they could.

John Stanford vowed to fight for Seattle's children until hell freezes over, and then, when it freezes over, to fight on the ice.

We also must be willing to fight for people with diabetes. We must fight to ensure that they get adequate health care and access to that care. We must fight to ensure that people with diabetes have the opportunity to live their lives to the best of their capabilities. We must fight to ensure that preventive diabetes care is a health care priority. We must fight to give diabetes its fair share of research dollars.

You may be called upon by the American Diabetes Association to assist us and other organizations to secure National Institutes of Health funding for the recommendations of the congressionally mandated Diabetes Research Working Group. Be ready, because funding these recommendations will go a long way toward helping us reach our mission.

As diabetes educators, we also need, as John Stanford did, to reach outside of our practice areas and the diabetes family. We must involve our entire communities in the fight for people with diabetes and our fight against this disease.

And the fight is far from over. We still need to convince some employers, insurers, lawmakers, community groups, various government agencies, and the general population that diabetes is deadly serious and can be devastating to people afflicted with the disease and to society. We need to continue to enlist other groups in our battle.We have had some notabe successes in some arenas, but the war isn't over yet.

We have not reached our mission. We have not yet improved the lives of all people with diabetes. We must continue to reach out to, and be receptive to, the overtures of other organizations. We have opportunities to make major strides toward the mission of the American Diabetes Association. But we must do so with love and commitment. And we must do so with the realization that it may take a long time to reach our ultimate goal.

I believe that when facilitating change, we certainly are change agents. We are change agents not only for our patients, but also for the environment in which they are cared for, work, and live. I believe that patience and perseverence are critical ingredients for facilitating change. Let patience and perseverence work for you.

The answers to the following questions have always been my guide as to which paths to follow. When in doubt about a situation, I always ask myself: What is best for people with diabetes? or How will this affect people with diabetes? This always works for me. I urge you to try it.

I believe that another critical element in leadership is identifying and facilitating the development of professionals who would join our ranks, those who will become the future leaders of our profession. Take the extra time to share your wisdom and experience. Encourage these newcomers with love and respect. By doing so, you will soon have trusted and valued colleagues.

As I close, I will return to some thoughts from John Stanford. Ask yourselves: Why do I lead or teach the way I do? What are my beliefs about people? As you answer these questions, search and find the love within you. Bring this love to your work with your patients, your students, and your colleagues.

Last year, my predecessor, Chris Beebe, stated the need for passion. This passion is still needed today and will be needed in the future. Be passionate about diabetes education and the devastations that can be caused by this disease. Communicate that passion to any and all who will listen.

I thank you for the opportunity to serve in this position. I feel confident that I am leaving it in good hands with Elizabeth Walker, Lee Sanders, and Ann Daly.

I also thank my diabetes educator colleagues who, whenever I asked something of them, gave freely of themselves. I thank the ADA staff for their support and patience even with someone like me, who is consistently behind in deadlines. I thank my three children, Kimberly, Heather, and King, for their support. Most of all, I thank my patients and co-workers who put up with my many absences with smiles and good wishes. In addition, I thank you, my peers, for being who you are and choosing to dedicate yourselves to the fight against diabetes.

I will leave you with more of John Stanford's words. He said, "In each of us is someone who can make a difference." Thank you.